In order to ensure a smooth transition from IPv4 to IPv6, the lifespan of IPv4 can be increased in order to give network operators more time to make the transition. This document proposes a strategy for allocation and maintenance of AfriNIC's final /8 block of IPv4 from IANA.

Background:

Following the much anticipated IPv4 pool exhaustion, a global policy, "Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space", has been ratified. The policy ensures that IANA reserves one (1) IPv4 /8 address block for each RIR. Details of the Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space can be found at: www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2009-v4-001.html.

This policy (IPv4 Soft Landing) applies to the management of address space that will be available to AfriNIC under this Global Policy

The purpose of this document is to ensure that this last block is used in a manner that is acceptable by the AfriNIC community.

A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an Internet Registry (IR) that receives allocations from an RIR and assigns address space to customers who use it's services. LIRs are generally ISPs and their customers are end-users and possibly other ISPs. LIRs must be members of an RIR like AfriNIC; which serves the Africa Region and part of the Indian Ocean (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles).

(b) Existing LIR's

An Existing LIR is an LIR that assigns address space to 'end-users' and has already been assigned or allocated IPv4 address space by AfriNIC.

(c) New LIR

A New LIR, is an LIR that assigns address space to 'end-users' and is a member of AfriNIC but has not been assigned or allocated any IPv4 address space prior to the Exhaustion phase.

Summary

This proposal describes how AfriNIC shall allocate and manage IPv4 resources from the last /8 block of IPv4 address allocated by IANA at the time of total depletion of the IANA IPv4 address free pool.

(i) Current Phase:

During this phase, AfriNIC will continue allocating IPv4 addresses to the LIRs using the current allocation policy www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2005-v4-001.htm. This phase will continue until a request for IPv4 address space from any LIR to AfriNIC either cannot be fulfilled with the IPv4 address space available in the AfriNIC pool (with the exception of the last allocated /8 address block from IANA) or can be fulfilled but leaving the AfriNIC IPv4 address pool empty (with the exception of the last allocated /8 address block from IANA).

This will be the last IPv4 address space request that AfriNIC will accept from any LIR in the Current Phase, AfriNIC, will declare that the Exhaustion Phase has begun at this point.

(ii) Exhaustion Phase:

During the exhaustion phase, the following allocation and assignment policy for the last /8 IPv4 address will be used:

a) Instead of the /22 block (1024) addresses allocated in the current policy, the new minimum allocation size of /24 (256 addresses) will be allocated to any LIR that qualifies for IPv4 resources - /23 (512) will be the maximum allocation size possible and even though LIRs may request for more than this, LIRs will not be able to get more a /23 in a single allocation - they also will not get more than 4 allocations once the Exhaustion phase has began.

The current allocation and assignment period of 12 months shall be changed to 8 months. This will help to ensure that LIRs request only for resources they need in the short to medium term, and promote fairness in the equitable distribution of the last IPv4 address pool.

Allocation Criteria

a) Existing LIRs

At the time of the first IPv4 allocation made during the exhaustion phase, AfriNIC shall also allocate an IPv6 address block in compliance with the current IPv6 allocation policy (www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2004-v6-001.htm) to the LIR. In order to receive additional IPv4 allocations in the exhaustion phase, the existing LIR must have used at least 90% of all previous allocations. An existing LIR may receive a maximum of four (4) address blocks according to the allocation size in effect at the time of allocation in the AfriNIC region. However, the address blocks shall be issued one at a time.

b) New LIR's

Each New LIR will receive IPv4 addresses which they can use for supporting legacy IPv4 services to ensure their full presence on the IPv4 Internet during the transition to IPv6. The following will apply: Upon application, a New LIR may receive a maximum of four (4) address blocks according to the allocation size in effect at the time of allocation in the AfriNIC region. However, the address blocks shall be issued one at a time.

In order to receive additional IPv4 allocations, the New LIR should have used at least 90% of the previous allocations from the exhaustion phase. New LIRs may apply for and receive this allocation once they meet the criteria to receive IPv4 address space according to the policy in effect at the time.

IPv4 Address Space Reserve

A /12 IPv4 address block will be in reserve out of the last /8 pool. This /12 IPv4 address block shall be preserved by AfriNIC for some future uses, as yet unforeseen. The Internet is innovative and we cannot predict with certainty what might happen. Therefore, it is prudent to keep this block in reserve, just in case some future requirement creates a demand for IPv4 addresses.

When AfriNIC can no longer meet any more requests for address space from the last /8 pool because the pool is either empty or has no more contiguous blocks, the board will based on the demand and other factors at the time exercise the prerogative to replenish the exhaustion pool from the reserve pool in a manner that is in the best interest of the community.

AfriNIC resources are for the AfriNIC geographical region. No more than 10% of these resources can be used outside of the AfriNIC region - and this will be only to connect back to resources within the African region.